Engine lubricating apparatus



-D. V. POTTER ENGINE LUBRICATING APPARATUS April 30, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed July 10, 1961 M a m M T n m M April 30, 1963 D. v. POTTER ENGINELUBRICATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 10, 1961 llluINVENTOR. DAV/a 1 Parr-12 M Arron/z? United rates Patent C) 3,687,582.ENGINE LUBRICATING APPARATUS David V. Potter, Willis, Mich, assignor toAmerican Motors Corporation, Kenosha, Wis., a corporation of MarylandFiled July 10, 1961, Ser. No. 122,846 Claims. 01. 184-6) The inventionrelates to a lubrication system for an internal combustion engine and tothe pumping and filtering mechanism forming a part of such system.

One object of the invention is to provide an arrange men: of castingssuitably cored to provide the necessary passages for accommodating apumping mechanism and a full flow filtering mechanism free of exteriorpiping and both situated externally of the cylinder block.

Another object is to provide a suitable casting arrangement wherein thefiltering device is situated close to the pressure source so that anycold weather bypassing will not pick up friction from the walls of thedrilled or cored holes with its resulting build up of pressure againstthe pump gears.

A further object is to provide in a lubricating system, an externallylocated pump in association with an appropriate adapter casting andfiltering device wherein all coring and machining for such filter andadapter are done in the pump casting and adapter casting and wherein anyfoundry or machining scrap will be concentrated in a smaller and lessexpensive item than the crankcase of the engine.

Another object is to provide an externally situated pump deviceemploying a relief valve built into the pump cover casting and therebyaccording pressure relief means [for the pump. In this respect, the pumphousing is provided with an appropraite narrow pocket for communieatingwith the relief valve chamber to permit return of oil to the lowpressure side of the pump under undue pressure conditions therebyassuring a more satisfactorily operating pump.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from theensuing specification and appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a generally schematic and elevational view of an internalcombustion engine showing in sectional detail on a reduced scale aportion of the lubricating system, which portion is taken on the line-11 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View of a portion of the lubricatingsystem taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the major portion of thelubricating system. Portions of the system are broken in section atdifferent levels in order to better illustrate the passage arrangements.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary end view of the components shown in FIG. 3 witha portion of the filteringunit removed to reveal the end face of thefilter adapter casting and associated parts.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4with the filtering unit removed.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4, the cylinderblock not being shown.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown schematically a typical internalcombustion engine including the engine cylinder block A to the undersideof which the crankcase pan B is secured. A cam shaft C, driven by thecrankshaft (not shown) in a conventional manner serves to drive thepumping mechanism D which forces the engine lubricating oil through afiltering unit E (see FIG. 3) from whence the oil is directed to theconventional oil gallery F in the cylinder block. Thus, the oil ispressurized by the pump for distribution to the various parts of theengine from the oil gallery F.

The pump casting 10 has a diametrically reduced cylindrical end portion11 which is recieved within a suitable bore 12 in the boss portion 13 ofthe cylinder block. The pump drive shaft 14 has a gear 15 at one endmeshing with a gear 16 on the cam shaft for driving pump gear 17. Theidler gear 18, of course, forms the second gear of the pumpingmechanism. The oil pump, through displacement, causes atmosphericpressure within the crankcase 19 to force the oil from the oil panreservoir B up through the inlet tube 20 into the low pressure side ofthe pump.

Referring to FIG. 2, the oil travels up through tube 20, passages 21 and22 in the block boss 13, thence through port 23 in the pump housing 24into the chamber area 25, which is the low pressure side of the pump.

The rotating pump gears carry the oil between the gear teeth and pumpbody to the discharge or high pressure side of the pump from whence theoil is then directed toward the filtering unit E. On the high pressureside of the pump the oil is forced into the chamber 27 in the pumphousing cover casting 28 from whence the oil is directed throughtransfer passage 29 which is formed in the pump housing cover (see FIG.3.) The pressurized oil then travels through a transverse passage 30which is formed in the pump housing and which opens into the pumphousing cover passage 29. The pump housing passage 30 opens into alaterally directed passage 31 (see FIGS. 3 and 6) formed in the pumphousing and terminates at the end face 31a thereof. From passage 31 theoil travels through passage 32 in the adapter casting 33. When theadapter casting is anchored to the pump housing casting, the passages 30and 31, of course, are in regis try. Passage 32 opens into an enlargedchamber 35 formed in the generally bell-shaped end portion 36 of theadapter casting.

A cylindrical connector sleeve 37 is anchored in the passage 38 of theadapter casting and is externally threaded at its outer end. The baseplate 40* of the filtering unit is threaded onto the connector and asuitable gasket 41 assures liquid tight connection between the filteringunit container 42 and the end face 33a of the adapter casting. Thefilter cartridge assembly 43 has its base plate 44 guided'onto theconnector under tension of spring 4'5. The pressurized oil travelsthrough a series of annulanly arranged ports 46 formed in the base 40and into the annular chamber 47 formed between the inner wall of thecontainer 42 andthe outer wall of the cylindrical filter cartridge 48and thence through the filtering material, then through openings 50 inthe cylindrical central supporting tube 51. The filtered oil thentravels through the hollow connector 37, passage 38 and then into thetransverse transfer passage 52, through passage 53 in the pump housing.Passage 53 opens into the transverse passage 54 in the pump housingwhich opens into passage 55 which is formed in the boss portion 56 inthe side wall of the cylinder block. The filtered oil is thus forcedint-o the oil gallery F from whence it is distributed to the variousworking parts of the engine in a conventional manner.

Thus, the pumping unit and the filtering device are both situatedexternally of the cylinder block and all ofthe pass-ages leading fromthe pump housing through the filtering unit and thence back to the oilgallery are formed in the separate castings 24, 28 and 33.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a bypass route controlled bya check valve for handling excessive pressure build up due to filterclogging. When the oil reaches chamber 35, if the filter cartridge isclogged to the extent of causing excessive pressure'build up within thechamber 47, then the oil pressure exerted on the outer face 60 of valvedisc 61 will cause the valve to open against the resistance of spring 62permitting the oil to travel directly from passage 32 into chamber 35 3and thence through passage 63 into transfer passage 52 from whence ittravels directly into discharge passage 55.

Formed integrally with the pump housing casting is a tower 65 whichhouses a pressure relief valve assembly. The tower has a cylindricalbore 66 at the lower end of which valve seat 67 is located. Thediametrically reduced lower end 68 of the bore opens into the highpressure chamber 27. Valve plunger 69 is, under normal pressureconditions, seated against the valve seat under the influence of spring70. In the event of an excessive pressure build up in the chamber 27,the valve plunger is forced upwardly uncovering the port 71 forpermitting the oil to be returned to the low pressure side of the pump.The pump housing is provided with an upwardly directed boss 73 toprovide the narrow pocket 25a which communicates with port 74. A certainamount of oil seeps past the valve plunger when the plunger is movedupwardly to open position and such oil passes through port 74 into thepocket 25 to the low pressure side of the pump. At the port 23 anenlarged recess 76 serves to lessen the possibility of a hydraulic lockoccurring during the operation of the pump.

The pump cover and pump housing are both anchored to the cylinder blockboss 13 by means of suitable bolts 77 and suitable gaskets would beinserted between the castings at the locations 78 and 79 to assure aliquid tight lubrication system. The gaskets have not been shown in thedrawings. At the juncture Where the adapter casting 33 engages the pumpcover casting and pump housing casting, indicated by the numeral 80, agasket would be used although not shown in the drawings. The adaptercasting is anchored to the pump housing casting by means of suitablebolts 82 as shown in FIG. 4.

Thus, it can be seen that the complete routing of the oil from the inlettube through the pump housing casting, pump cover casting, and adaptercasting 33 is provided by means of passages which are formed either bycoring or by drilling in these various castings, thereby eliminating theneed of any exteriorly situated tubing connections.

-I claim:

1. A lubrication system for an internal combustion engine comprising: acylinder block forming a part of the engine; an oil reservoir secured tothe underside of the cylinder block; a pump housing casting secured tothe side wall of the cylinder block, said pump housing casting having apump chamber extending outwardly from the cylinder block; a pump covercasting closing oif the outer end of the pumping chamber at the outerend of the pump housing casting; a pumping mechanism located within thepump chamber of the pump housing casting; a pump shaft projecting intothe interior of the cylinder block; a driving shaft interiorly of thecylinder block and having driving engagement with the pump shaft; aseparable adapter casting anchored to a side wall of the pump housingcasting and projecting laterally therefrom in a direction transversewith reference to the pump chamber; a filtering device anchored to theadapter casting; said pump housing casting having an oil inlet portopening into the low pressure side of the pumping mechanism and thecylinder block having an oil feed passage communicating with the oilinlet port; an oil feed tube having one end extending into the oilreservoir and the other end opening into the cylinder block passage;said pump cover casting having a passage leading from the high pressuredischarge side of the pumping mechanism; said pump housing castinghaving a passage communicating with the pump cover casting passage andleading to the adapter casting; said adapter casting having a passagecommunicating with the pump housing casting passage and opening into thefiltering device; said adapter casting having a second passage leadingfrom the filtering device to the pump housing casting and said pumphousing casting having a second passage communcating with the secondpassage of the adapter casting and leading to the cylinder block; saidcylinder block having a second passage communicating with the secondpassage of the pump housing casting for returning the oil back into theinterior of the cylinder block.

2. A lubrication system for an internal combustion engine comprising: acylinder block forming a part of the engine; an oil reservoir secured toand closing off the underside of the cylinder block; a pump housingcasting having an end wall directed toward the cylinder block and an endwall opposite from the first end wall and a side wall directedtransversely with reference to the end walls; a pump cover castingclosing off the outer end Wall of the pump housing casting and anadapter casting having an inner end face engaging and closing off theside wall of the pump housing casting; a pumping mechanism locatedwithin the pump housing casting; a pump shaft projecting into theinterior of the cylinder block; a driving shaft located interiorly ofthe cylinder block and having driving engagement with the pumping shaft;the adapter casting having an end face at its outer end; a filteringdevice having a container wtih an end face anchored to the outer endface of the adapter casting; an oil route leading from the oil reservoirto the filtering device and then to the cylinder block, said routeincluding a feed passage in the cylinder block, an inlet passage in thefirst end wall of the pump housing casting and communicating with thecylinder block passage, an oil discharge passage in the pump covercasting at the high pressure side of the pump, a second passage in thepump housing casting communicating with the pump cover casting passage,a first passage in the adapter casting communicating with the secondpassage in the pump housing casting and opening into the filteringdevice, a second passage in the adapter casting serving as the returnpassage from the filtering device, a passage in the cylinder blockleading to the interior thereof and a third passage in the pump housingcasting establishing communication between the second passage in theadapter casting and the return passage in the cylinder block; said pumpcover casting and pump housing casting being anchored to the cylinderblock and said adapter casting being anchored to the side wall of thepump housing casting.

3. A lubrication system for an internal combustion engine comprising; acylinder block forming a part of the engine; an oil reservoir secured toand closing ofi the underside of the cylinder block; a pump housingcasting having a first end wall directed toward and secured to the sidewall of the cylinder block; said pump housing casting having a secondend wall directed away from the cylinder block; a pump cover castingclosing off and secured to the second end wall of the pump housingcasting; a side wall on the pump housing casting directed transverselywith reference to the end walls of the pump housing casting; a separableadapter casting having an inner end face anchored to and closing off theside wall of the pump housing casting and an outer end face at theopposite end of said adapter casting; a filtering device having acontainer with an end face anchored to the outer end face of the adaptercasting; an oil route commencing from the interior of the cylinder blockand leading through the pump housing casting to the pumping mechanism,through the pump cover casting, then through the pump housing casting tothe adapter casting, then through the adapter casting into the filteringdevice, then returning from the filtering device through the adaptercasting, then through the pump housing casing and back to the cylinderblock.

4. A lubrication system for an internal combustion engine as set forthin claim 3 wherein, a valve casing is formed integrally with the pumpcover casting, said casing having a port in one wall thereofcommunicating with the inlet side of the pumping mechanism and a passageing, said by-passage being located in the adapter castcomrnunicatingwith the outlet side of the pumping mechaing and being normally closedoff by a check valve. nism, said valve, when opened, establishingcommunication between the outlet side of the pumping mechanismReferences Cited In the file 0f thls Patent and the inlet side of thepumping mechanism. 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5. A lubrication system foran internal combustion en- 2,305,012 Kinnucan 15, 1942 glne as set forth1n clalm 3 wherein a by-passage establishes communication between thefirst passage in the 269'1429 Kovacs 1954 2,897,966 Humbert Aug. 14,1959 adapter casting and the second passage in the adapter cast-

3. A LUBRICATION SYSTEM FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE COMPRISING; ACYLINDER BLOCK FORMING A PART OF THE ENGINE; AN OIL RESERVOIR SECURED TOAND CLOSING OFF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CYLINDER BLOCK; A PUMP HOUSINGCASTING HAVING A FIRST END WALL DIRECTED TOWARD AND SECURED TO THE SIDEWALL OF THE CYLINDER BLOCK; SAID PUMP HOUSING CASTING HAVING A SECONDEND WALL DIRECTED AWAY FROM THE CYLINDER BLOCK; A PUMP COVER CASTINGCLOSING OFF AND SECURED TO THE SECOND END WALL OF THE PUMP HOUSINGCASTING; A SIDE WALL ON THE PUMP HOUSING CASTING DIRECTED TRANSVERSELYWITH REFERENCE TO END WALLS OF THE PUMP HOUSING CASTING; A SEPARABLEADAPTER CASTING HAVING AN INNER END FACE ANCHORED TO AND CLOSING OFF THESIDE WALL OF THE PUMP HOUSING CASTING AND AN OUTER END FACE AT THEOPPOSITE END OF SAID ADAPTER CASTING; A FILTERING DEVICE HAVING ACONTAINER WITH AN END FACE ANCHORED TO THE OUTER END FACE OF THE ADAPTERCASTING; AN OIL ROUTE COMMENCING FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE CYLINDER BLOCKAND LEADING THROUGH THE PUMP HOUSING CASTING TO THE PUMPING MECHANISM,THROUGH THE PUMP COVER CASTING, THEN THROUGH THE PUMP HOUSING CASTING TOTHE ADAPTER CASTING, THEN THROUGH THE ADAPTER CASTING INTO THE FILTERINGDEVICE, THEN RETURNING FROM THE FILTERING DEVICE THROUGH THE ADAPTERCASTING, THEN THROUGH THE PUMP HOUSING CASING AND BACK TO THE CYLINDERBLOCK.